Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir to Perform at Harris Center, 11/17

With songs in their heart and praise on their lips, this talented gospel group from Darkar, Senegal has been touring the United States since early September. They are culminating their tour with select performances on the west coast including a concert at Harris Center of the Arts in Folsom.

This inspiring West African choir lifts the hearts and spirits of all who hear their extraordinary voices. The Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir has become a symbol of peace, hope, humanity, and brotherhood throughout its homeland of Senegal since the ensemble's founding in 1950. The voices rise in an amazing sound that combines Catholic liturgy and indigenous Muslim songs. Composed in the country's four national languages, their music reflects the harmony between the two major cultures of Senegal.

The Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir performs on Monday, November 17, 2014 at 7 pm. Tickets are priced at $21-$34; Premium $45; Students with ID $12. Tickets are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

Mr. Julien Jouga (1931-2001), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's Ambassador Artist for Peace was the choir's founder. Having an earnest pride for his country and its culture, Mr. Jouga was not only a commandant in the Senegalese Army and a coach of the National Basketball Team of Senegal, but a fervent musician dedicated to the development of Catholic Choral singing of the diverse repertoire from the styles of Gregorian chant to polyphony inspired by the indigenous harmonic forms of Senegalese music. He was a true visionary in the development and preservation of the Senegalese Culture.

Now in existence for more than forty-four years, the Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir is currently lead by its Music Director, Mr. Ambroise N'Diong. It is composed of the Cathedral's chorale, of St. Joseph's of Medina, who each Sunday, in the heart of Dakar's most working-class neighborhood, interprets Gospel/Negro Spirituals, traditional African Songs, and the magnificent masses that Julien Jouga composed in his country's four national languages: Ouolof, Diola, Sérère and Portugese Creole. The voices - to which drums, guitar and kora are occasionally added - rise in a local polyphony invented by Mr. Jouga, testifying at the same time not only to his mastery of language, but to his profound knowledge of his country's rhythms and music traditions. It is to this extent that he arranged and harmonized songs taken from the folklore and tradition of Senegal, truly signifying the pieces of the everyday people of Senegal. An ecumenical partisan, Mr. Jouga interpreted and combined both the Catholic liturgy and the indigenous Muslim songs of Senegal to create an extraordinary harmony between the two cultures that comprise the nation of Senegal. The Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir therefore represents the humanity and the fraternity that exists within the Capital City, Dakar, and throughout the country of Senegal.

GREAT SHOWS. UP CLOSE. IN FOLSOM!

The Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College is a $50 million facility built with a combination of state, regional, local and private funds. Harris Center has three intimate theaters, an art gallery, a recording studio, elegant teaching spaces, plenty of safe parking and all the other amenities of a state-of-the-art performing arts venue. The Harris Center presents touring artists from around the world; partners with the best regional arts organizations, and supports productions by FLC students and faculty.

The Harris Center for the Arts (formerly Three Stages) is named to honor Brice Harris, Chancellor Emeritus of the Los Rios Community College District, for his many contributions to the capital region, including the vision and leadership he provided in opening this regional arts center.

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